I’m excited to be taking part in this YA/NA Blogfest. Thank you for hosting me, Apryl.

The characters in my books usually come from a poor or difficult background. The reason for this is because I feel that affluent characters are well represented in romance books. There are plenty of millionaires and college students with wealthy parents and I wanted to show the other side of the coin, to give a voice to those who have had a hard upbringing. My hope is that anyone going through a bad time can find hope that things can get better.

They say write what you know, and coming from a poor background myself, I'm more familiar with those people and how they talk, think and feel.

JEM contains themes of child abuse, self-harm and domestic abuse. When I have a character who suffers from domestic abuse I always make a point of having them leave the abuser, because no one should stay in a toxic relationship. In JEM, Devon allows her abusive ex back into her life because she believes it will be the best thing for her son. In writing that, my intent was to show that it was the wrong decision. If you’re with an abuser, cut them loose.

Although I don’t have any personal experience of child abuse, Jem wormed his way into my mind and heart and wouldn’t let go. I saw a little boy who lost the only love he’d ever known and he tugged at my heartstrings. To an outsider he’s hard and violent because that is all he’s ever known, but inside all he wants is to be loved, accepted and safe.

One of my side characters, Maddy, self harms. That wasn’t planned. I often find my characters take on a life of their own and start telling me how the story should go. Maddy was one of those characters and I may give her a book of her own.

My books are always set in places I have lived or visited on vacation. Below are a few photos I took of places that featured in Jem.

Me standing on Hemsby beach.

The apartment I chose for Devon to live in.

Beach Road, Hemsby

The Amusement Arcade that Jem works at.

JEM

Two injured, stubborn souls meet unexpectedly. Will they save each other from their demons or have they been too damaged for too long to see past the pain?

Growing up, all Jem knew was hatred and the pain from his father's fists. Taunted by the kids at school, he was alone, until a girl with carrot coloured hair sat next to him.

She smiled.
She listened.
She cared.

She was his angel, and he knew he’d love her forever. But Jem’s father hurts him in a way he never expected by taking him away from her.

Now eighteen, scarred inside and out, Jem trusts no one and has worked hard to ensure he'll never be helpless again. But then he runs into his angel. The only problem is she doesn’t recognize him. Jem needs her to remember him, to show him that their time together meant to her what it did to him. For once in his life he wants to have mattered to someone, to her.

Devon is attracted to the muscular, tattooed, pierced hottie standing by the pub quiz machine. That is, until he punches a guy clean across the bar for daring to touch him. She’s had her fill of violent men and intends to avoid this one at all costs.

This is a standalone, new adult contemporary romance. Due to strong language and sexual content, this book is not intended for readers under the age of 18.

Michelle Abbott lives in the UK and hates describing herself in 3rd person.

She's a self-published author who loves to write new adult romance about heroes who begin as the underdog and are protective of their girl.

She's an avid reader of romance, is addicted to coffee and loves wine and chocolate, so yeah, not the most healthy eating and drinking habits :-) She spends way too much time online when she should be writing. She collects teddy bears and occasionally knits a couple of rows on a sweater she started years ago, which she may eventually finish in time to wear for her funeral :-)